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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.
This was utterly sinful in the best way. It’s a great mix of spice, horror, and atmosphere. Sleepy Hollow has never been so dangerously hot.
Ichabod and Katrina have a ton of chemistry off the bat. We don’t get a ton of Brom Bones in this installment, so I’m eager to read the next book and get all three of them together.
My one complaint would be that I think this should have been sped up and condensed a bit into one book. I felt like we were JUST getting to the good part when it ended. But I had a good time!
This was utterly sinful in the best way. It’s a great mix of spice, horror, and atmosphere. Sleepy Hollow has never been so dangerously hot.
Ichabod and Katrina have a ton of chemistry off the bat. We don’t get a ton of Brom Bones in this installment, so I’m eager to read the next book and get all three of them together.
My one complaint would be that I think this should have been sped up and condensed a bit into one book. I felt like we were JUST getting to the good part when it ended. But I had a good time!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Hollow is a spicy, dark retelling of the Headless Horseman with with a mix of why choose and age gap romance. It has a great gothic atmosphere, with a magical university and a layers of mystery. Kat, Brom and Ichobod are an intriguing mix, but I'm not as drawn into their connection as I'd hoped I would be. Overall, I liked the story but there was something missing for me. I do think though that lovers of gothic and dark romance will enjoy this take on the Sleepy Hollow Legend.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest review.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whew!! Thank you, Netgalley and Karina Halle for gifting me with this ARC, a very spicy, erotic, retelling of Sleep Hollow. I enjoyed the elements of the story, blending mystery, horror, romance, and compelling character struggles all in one. Although this is practically a Sleepy Hollow fanfic, I really loved the original, steamy twist to the tale (and in my opinion, actually better) with intriguing social commentary. I was hooked from the first page, and I do hope I get approved for the second book!
Book Review: Hollow by Karina Halle
💜💜💜 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital copy 🐿✨
A romantasy reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with witches, magic, and of course, a headless horseman. Here’s the setup: Brom—one of the two MMCs—vanishes for four years and suddenly returns, just as Katrina has fallen for her teacher (Ichabod, yes that Ichabod, and our second MMC 👀). The twist? Ichabod and Brom already know each other, but Brom can’t remember the missing years. With Katrina’s help—and her mother mysteriously entangled—they set out to uncover the truth.
On paper, it’s a great plot, but the story leans too heavily on dark, gratuitous spice at the expense of worldbuilding and character depth. Brom is the most developed of the cast; Ichabod felt flat, and Katrina often came across as more used than cherished.
It’s a fast read (around 4–5 hours) but ends abruptly to set up book two. Honestly, I think this could have been wrapped up in a single book. If you’re in the mood for a spooky story, unhinged spice, and a Sleepy Hollow retelling, this may hit the spot. For me, though—it didn’t interest me enough to continue with the sequel.
Holy WTF. It's spooky. It's unhinged. It's 🥵🥵🥵. IDK what's going on but I am here for it.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital copy.
I’ve been a fan of the legend of sleepy hollow for a long time. This story gives it a new twist. It’s written well enough to keep you engaged. Some scenes were too much for me but I pushed through because I wanted to know what happens next….
I believe book two, Legendary will be out soon.
I’ve been a fan of the legend of sleepy hollow for a long time. This story gives it a new twist. It’s written well enough to keep you engaged. Some scenes were too much for me but I pushed through because I wanted to know what happens next….
I believe book two, Legendary will be out soon.
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm having difficulty figuring out what to say about this one. I liked the idea of it - a why choose (I'm presuming a little bit here) romantasy retelling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The execution - meh, not so much.
The characters were interesting, to an extent, but overall kind of bland. I'm still not totally sure I understand what's going on with Kat's mother, and I know there is a sequel to this book, but I still felt lost.
The magic, especially with regards to Crane, was fascinating, and I would've loved more of that. I think the world-building was a little weak, but perhaps that'll improve with the next book.
I also was under the impression that this book is for adults, but I must've misunderstood the marketing, as this is very much YA. Not a bad thing, and I enjoyed many parts of the book, but it would have changed my approach to reading it.
Overall, it was just okay. I wasn't invested enough to pick up the next book, but I can see the appeal for some people.
The characters were interesting, to an extent, but overall kind of bland. I'm still not totally sure I understand what's going on with Kat's mother, and I know there is a sequel to this book, but I still felt lost.
The magic, especially with regards to Crane, was fascinating, and I would've loved more of that. I think the world-building was a little weak, but perhaps that'll improve with the next book.
I also was under the impression that this book is for adults, but I must've misunderstood the marketing, as this is very much YA. Not a bad thing, and I enjoyed many parts of the book, but it would have changed my approach to reading it.
Overall, it was just okay. I wasn't invested enough to pick up the next book, but I can see the appeal for some people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content